Clinton is a coup

Seat limitation is reality of having dynamic speakers.

Rochester Institute of Technology is getting some flak for the potential crowd problem former President Bill Clinton will likely pose at this year's convocation ceremony in May.

RIT officials have said they will have to limit the number of people present at the speech. It's understandable that students would want to have all of their family and friends present to listen to Clinton. But it's not as dire as some are making it out to be.

Each RIT school has its own individual ceremony. There is no limit on attendance for those ceremonies. And it's at the individual ceremony where students will actually receive their degree. RIT's student newsmagazine editorialized that Clinton shouldn't be the speaker because of the limit on seats. That's just silly. It's an honor to have a president, former or otherwise, speak at such an event. Crowd control is a reality when big-name folks visit.

Plus, RIT is planning to broadcast the convocation on its campus radio station, on closed-circuit TV and over the Internet. Sounds reasonable.

It also was pointed out that last year's speaker, inventor Dean Kamen, was standing-room only in the Gordon Field House.

Students and their families should feel proud that RIT is able to command such dynamic speakers as Kamen and Clinton.

It's unfortunate that everyone who wants to won't get to see Clinton live. But everyone who wants to will get to see their student cross the stage. And that's what's most important.